Jerry Jones and the Dallas Cowboys were happy to wait until nearly the final hour, but they did finally lock down one extension-eligible franchise cornerstone by signing CeeDee Lamb to a massive new contract earlier this week. However, there doesn’t seem to be a rush to do the same with quarterback Dak Prescott, coming off his first All-Pro nomination who will be a free agent following the 2024 season.
The messaging has been subtle at times but pretty consistent from the Cowboys—they want Prescott around for a long time but do not feel a sense of urgency to pay him right this second. This seems to fly in the face of Jones’s constant assurances that the franchise is “all-in” on this group of talent, but since Prescott (unlike Lamb) wasn’t willing to try and force Dallas’ hand, the situation has quietly simmered all summer.
With the season opener against the Cleveland Browns right around the corner it seems very likely an extension will not get done and the Cowboys will roll the dice that they’ll be able to retain Prescott on the open market. Jones spoke to Clarence Hill Jr. of DLLS and expressed his opinion that the Cowboys “don’t need” to get the deal done before regular season kickoff.
“We don’t need to get this done before the season,” Jones told DLLS last week. “We just don’t need to get it done before the season. Because it’s in all of our interest, Dak and everybody, to have a great season. And as a matter of fact, that’s probably not realistic to think before the season. But my thought sitting right here is we’ll have Dak [as Cowboys quarterback in 2025 and beyond]. But all I’m gonna say is this: it’s not done yet.”
One of those quotes that could very well come back to haunt Jones, depending on how things go.
Quarterbacks are very expensive in today’s NFL. The Cowboys could have negotiated a slight discount with Prescott if they were willing to get something done this offseason and give him long-term financial security. By choosing to wait they could end up being forced to pay Prescott record-setting money if he has a great season—or, worse, have to watch as he departs in free agency, which is an unlikely outcome given Dallas can just use the franchise tag but it is still a risk.
There is a whole lot riding on this season, both for the franchise and Prescott.
